


Turning Pages

by FrozenSpitfire



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Pearl Harbor au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-19 08:36:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5961006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenSpitfire/pseuds/FrozenSpitfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War is cruel and it does not spare anyone. Perhaps they were naïve to think it wouldn't reach them. Rivetra. Pearl Harbor AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Shingeki no Kyojin, for if I did, the entire Levi Squad would still be alive and so would Isabel and Farlan.

**Prologue**

_"Let your dreams be bigger than your fears and your actions louder than your_ _words."_

_June, 1924_

“Levi, watch out! You have two on your tail!”

It was late in the afternoon. The sun was already reaching out to the horizon, casting the small farm in a sweet and peaceful orange. The small boy looks over his shoulder, spotting the two planes his best friend warned him about.

“I can’t get ‘em. You have to shoot 'em down,” he replied, his gaze focused on the two germans following him. He turns around, facing the front once again and nodding to Farlan. The little girl sitting behind him wraps her arms tighter around his waist, squeaking and closing her eyes. With a thumbs up, Farlan leans to his right, raising his fake gun and pointing it to one of the 'planes’. He closes one eye and shoots, his little mouth trying to produce the sounds a real version of those would make.

“Nice shooting!” Levi says, leaning to his left so Farlan could have a better view of the other plane chasing him. Trying to reproduce the sounds once again, Farlan takes down the last plane.

“Yeah!” he shouts happily, waving his arm in the air in victory. Isabel giggles happily from behind Levi, clapping her hands excitedly as she tries to get off the carton box that is Levi’s plane. Her brother grabs her before she can jump, forcing her to sit down once again.

“We’re still flying!” he claims, scolding her “You can’t jump off the plane, or you’ll die”

Her lower lip pops out in a pout, but she ends up nodding, holding onto his waist again. After he lands, he gives her permission to get out, to which she readily complies. Running to Farlan, she is quick to wrap her arms around his waist, squeezing him tight and expressing how brave he was to take out those two planes all by himself. He laughs a little, rubbing the back of his neck while saying that 'it was nothing’.

“I think we should check our planes,” he says once Isabel lets go of him, pointing to the empty carton boxes (each has two pieces of carton sticking out from both sides, serving as the plane’s wings) “This battle was pretty hard!”

“LEVI! ISABEL!” the three children’s heads turn to the barn, where a tall man with a bowler hat now stands. He starts taking quick, purposeful strides towards them, his eyes glaring daggers. Farlan gulps a little, glancing at the horizon where only half of the sun is visible.

“Oh, no” he whispers, realizing that it’s way past the time for Levi and Isabel to be home.

“What the fuck are you doing out here at this time? I told you to be home by six,” Kenny says through gritted teeth, dragging Levi and Isabel by their arms “It’s eight!”

Isabel cries out, her father’s iron grip sure to leave marks on the girl’s skin. Levi grits his teeth, mad that Kenny was being so ruthless to his little sister.

“I-it’s not their fault!” Farlan tries to intervene, running after the man “We were distracted, we lost track of time”

Looking behind him to where the blond boy is, Kenny grinds his teeth, almost snarling at him. Before his father could do something to harm his best friend as well, Levi tries to free his arm from Kenny’s grip. The latter, noticing the boy’s action’s, tightens his hand around his arm and turns his snarl to him. After a few moments he continues dragging them through the farm, growling all the way. Looking behing him at Farlan, Levi mouths his gratefulness before trying to keep up with his father’s strides once again.

* * *

Their home wasn’t big. It was a one story house with two bedrooms, one kitchen and one bathroom. That meant he had to share a room with Isabel, but he didn’t mind. He loved her, even if she annoyed him sometimes and even if they didn’t share the same mom. Not that they had any now, either way.

He misses his mom sometimes. They weren’t together for long, since she passed away when he was two. Next thing he knew, his dad brought a new baby to the house, claiming her to be his sister. Since his mother wasn’t alive at the time, he figured the little baby girl was his dad’s and someone else’s, though he never met Isabel’s mother.

The both of them bonded straight away, as he took care of her since she came to live with them. They shared everything, bad or good. She wanted to join him in whatever he did, going as far as sharing his dream of flying.

She was five now, and he was eight, and he was her big brother and he had to protect her at any cost, especially from their father. Kenny never was a nice man. He thought discipline was the equivalent of pain and Levi and Isabel got countless beatings because of it. He tried to protect her always, but sometimes, it wasn’t enough. After their father found out their wish to soar through the skies (“Just like those men who fought the bad guys during the war!” he claimed), the beatings got worse. Every time they mentioned a plane or anything to do with the sky, he would most definitely beat them. He always said that a man’s place was on earth, and those who let themselves want more than the earth - specifically the skies - would eventually face their downfall.

That was why, as soon as they walked through the doorstep and the door was firmly closed behind them, Kenny’s hand crashed with Levi’s face. The young boy fell to the ground with the force of the impact, his own hand reaching up to craddle his bruised cheek.

“I’ve told you already but I’ll repeat it again: if you don’t give up on those silly flyin’ dreams of yours, I’ll beat you down to a pulp, do you understand?” he asks gravelly, eyes harsh as he glares down at Levi. He doesn’t respond and Kenny backhands him again. Isabel’s whimpering in a corner, her soft cries reaching Levi’s ears in an instant. Looking at her from the corner of his eye, he nods at Kenny, replying with a small “Yes”

“Good” Kenny says, pleased to get an answer. Turning his back on Levi, he starts walking towards Isabel, who, upon his approach, starts retracting to the wall . Levi’s gut twists with dread, knowing full well that Kenny’s planning on punishing Isabel. He runs to his little sister as fast as his eight-year-old legs could carry him, placing himself in front of her with his arms stretched, eyes glaring fiercely at Kenny.

“Don’t hurt her” he spits and Kenny’s eyebrow raises at his sudden outburst.

“Would you prefer me to punish _you_ instead of _her_ , that is?”

Levi nods wordlessly, his eyes never leaving Kenny’s, even as he tries to swallow down the fear that threatens to overcome him. With a small shrug, Kenny backhands him twice, possibly the punishment he had planned for Isabel. Levi’s eyes blur with tears, but he blinks them away, not wanting Kenny to witness his vulneranle side.

“Go to your room and don’t come out” he orders them, making his way to the kitchen “And don’t bother asking for dinner”

He grabs Isabel’s small hand in his and darts to their room quickly. Closing the door behind him tightly, he closes his eyes and breathes in twice, trying to calm his erratic heart. He hears Isabel climbing onto the bed and he quickly follows, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight to his chest as she whimpers softly. He can’t cry. He _can’t_. He needs to be strong for his little sister and that’s exactly what he plans to do. He’ll be strong. He’ll be strong for her.

After a while, her soft snores break him out of his reverie and he peers down at her. Her pigtails are in a disarray, bits of red hair free from their confines, but he thinks she never looked so peaceful. Carefully placing her on the bed, he removes her shoes and his own. He doesn’t want to wake her up just so she can put on her pajamas, so he lets her be. Looking down at his own clothes, he decides to stay like that as well. He lays down, pulling a cover over them and wrapping his arms around his little sister again.

He doesn’t care what his father thinks. He’s going to fly a plane someday, even if he has to go through hell for it.

With a soft sigh, he curls with Isabel on the bed and closes his eyes, dreams of real planes and endless skies flying through his mind.


	2. Winds of Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Shingeki no Kyojin. If I did, rivetra would soooo be canon by now (as well as farisa).

**Chapter 1 - Winds of Change**

_"When the winds of change blow, some build walls whilst others build windmills." - Chinese Proverb_

_17 years later_

_Mitchel Field, Long Island_

_January, 1941_

The loud roaring of the two planes flying overhead drew the Major’s attention. His eyes narrowed, eyebrows drawn in a frown as his head turned to the sky, quickly spotting the two planes that were still moving about when he specifically informed them that the training had just ended. Maybe they hadn’t heard it? He quickly shook that idea off. No, it couldn’t be; eight of the ten First Lieutenants were making their way to him, which meant they had received the information. All of them were looking up at the sky to where their fellow comrades were. He gives a quick once-over of the lieutenants approaching, his frown deepening when he finally sees who is missing.

“Where are Ackerman and Church?” his booming voice startles them and they quickly salute their Major. Only when his gaze hardens does he get an answer.

“Up there, sir! Still flying,” Bossard seems to debate with himself for a moment, before quickly adding “Sir”

“What the fuck are they doing?” he asks, looking up at the sky again, where both planes are flying in opposite directions.

“We have no idea, sir” it’s Gin who answers this time, his eyes never leaving the sky, curious as to what his comrades were planning.

Just then, when they are a good distance from each other, they turn around and start doing an aileron roll. Everyone’s eyes widen at the stunt, amazed that their rolls were nearly symmetrical, but at the same time worried for their safety, since their planes were getting closer and closer with each flip. When they all thought they were going to crash, each do a chandelle to their left, putting some distance between them once again. Releasing a breath they hadn’t realised they’d been holding, they all throw their flight caps in the air, whooping and whistling for their friends and their amazing performance.

“Do you think that was impressive?” the Major shouts at them, clearly angry. Their cheers die out, serious faces now present.

“Not at all, sir” Darlett answers, looking straight forward with his arms tightly glued to his body.

“An entirely unnacceptable use of military aircraft, sir” Berner finishes off, copying Darlett’s stance.

Major Shadis doesn’t answer them, his eyes following the two planes that were now landing. Akerman and Church jump out, the latter wearing the biggest grin they had ever seen. Levi had a passive face, as always. They started walking towards them, the Major fuming at each step they took.

“After three fucking years, you think military aircraft is to be used for your amusement?”

“Sir!” they both salute him.

“Well, let me tell you something. It’s NOT!” Major Shadis screams, spluttering their faces. They can all see Levi’s eyes narrowing, a disgusted look on his face. Farlan seems to notice it as well, as he takes a step forward in front of him.

“Yes, sir! I promise we won’t repeat it. Ever” he salutes again, looking the Major straight in the eyes. With a growl, Major Shadis turns around, shouting a ‘Dismissed’ over his shoulder and stalking away.

Farlan sighs in relief, his hand falling to his side, “Levi! You can’t do that! Do you want to get grounded for the rest of your life?” he scolds him.

“If I want a shower, I can use the bathroom” it’s Levi’s only answer as he turns around and trudges towards the barracks.

* * *

“Tonight is the night!” Ian exclaims to his reflection in the mirror, straightening his tie for the nth time. His comrades were next to him, each occupying their own mirror in order to get ready as well.

“Nurses be waiting for us at the dance, guys. We have to look good” Dita winks at them and they all laugh.

“As long as you keep your hands off of Isabel, you can make your move on whoever you want” Farlan shrugs, walking over to Levi, who glares at them as if to further prove Farlan’s point.

“No worries, we know she’s taken”

“Damn well you do”

“You should stray from Petra, as well” Eld says, swinging an arm over Auruo’s shoulders, “Our Auruo here has had eyes for her for quite some time, now”

Auruo narrows his eyes at Eld, a tinge of red creeping up his cheeks as he vehemently denies what his friend just said, eventually biting his tongue in the process. Gunther shakes his head at them, a knowing smile on his face.

“Are you going with us, Levi?” Moblit asks, turning his attention to the raven haired male sitting in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest. He only shakes his head in response.

“What? Why?” Eld asks, stopping his teasing.

“I don’t like dancing”

“You don’t have to dance” Gunther points out.

“There’s too many people. I don’t like crowded places”

At that, Farlan finally decides to intervene, “Come on, Levi! Isabel misses you. Whenever we have these social events and you don’t go, she gets worried. It’s been over two months since you last saw each other”

Levi looks at his best friend, pondering his words carefully. It is true that he hasn’t seen his little sister in too long, now, and he definitely misses her. But having to go to these kinds of things just so he could be with her was a pain in the ass.

“And besides, you’d be with us! What more do you need?” Eld says jockingly, patting him on the shoulder.

“Believe me, if you don’t go this time, Isabel will kill me” Farlan informs him, remembering his girlfriend’s words on their last date together.

They were all looking at him expectantly, eyes full of hope. Levi tries to look away, but after some more pushing, he finally sighs and agrees to go, to which they all cheer happily.

“I promise, you won’t regret it. Besides, when was the last time you’ve been with someone?” Farlan asks, placing his hand on Levi’s shoulder, “Just give it a shot. Change can be good,” with a small smile, he lets go of him and walks to the others, joining them on teasing Auruo.

Levi stands there, pondering Farlan’s words. It’s not like he was looking for someone, he’s used to being alone and he doesn’t need those kinds of things. But Farlan was right. He does need to get out more and he doesn’t want Isabel to worry about him.

“Hey, let’s go! The trucks are waiting,”

“And you know what they say” Ian grins, hopping inside the truck “Nurses can’t dance by themselves”

And everyone cheers.

* * *

“I really love it when they organize these kinds of events” Nanaba said, turning her attention to her fellow nurses, sitting next to her on the train.

“Yeah, they’re so much fun!” Anka squealed, grabbing Petra’s arm excitedly and squeezing the life out of it. The golden haired beauty laughs at her, she herself dying in anticipation. Personally, she really enjoyed these parties just as much. It was their way to have fun, to laugh the night away with their friends and forget, even if for a little while, that the world outside is at war. Living day by day in fear of the war finally reaching them and having to prepare physically and mentally for so was exhausting. But at the same time, there was a ray of hope. It might be selfish, but they hoped against all odds that they were safe and that they wouldn’t have to live the horrors other people were living. Since it hadn’t reached them yet, why would it reach them now?

“Isabel,” Anka singsongs, finally letting go of Petra’s arm in order to lean over, getting closer to the girl. Isabel raises an eyebrow, a small smile on her lips.

“What is it?” she asks innocently, pretending not to know what they were getting at.

“Oh, you know what,” Rico waves her off, smirking “How are you and Farlan?”

The red-haired girl laughs, her green eyes shining with amusement, “Oh, we’re just fine,”

“Come on, we want the details!” Anka presses, a childlike wonder present in her voice.

“Yeah. You can’t leave it at that,” Rico agrees, curiosity shining in her eyes.

“Please, girls,” Ilse pipes up, “You needn’t tell us if you don’t want to, Isabel,”

“There’s no problem,” Isabel smiles at Ilse, thankful for her help, “We went on a date the other day. It was amazing. He brought me flowers, magnolias to be exact” every girl sighs at that, their chins resting on their hands as they listen carefully, “He’s just so sweet and caring,”

“I wish I had such a loving boyfriend,” Anka pouts, and they all laugh.

“Well, you and Gustav are on good terms” Nanaba hums, and Anka starts blushing furiously.

“It’s not like that!” she shakes her head rapidly, brown strands flying about. They all smirk at her and she ends up hiding her face in her hands.

“I wonder if Big Brother is coming…” Isabel muses out loud, a hopeful look on her face.

“Oh, right!” Rico snaps her fingers, “You have an older brother, right? He’s Farlan’s best friend, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, the three of us always got along pretty well. But ever since Farlan and I started dating, I fear that he’s feeling left out”

“Is he hot?” Anka goes back to her cheery self, her face no longer red.

“Anka!” Petra scolds, a disapproving look on her face.

“What? A girl can hope,”

“Yes! My big brother is really handsome,” Isabel smiles proudly.

“She’s his sister, of course she would think he’s handsome,” Rico points out, adjusting her glasses.

“Hey!” Isabel pouts, “I’m not saying that because he’s my brother. He really is!”

“I think we should be the judges of that, Isabel dear,” Anka declares, a determined expression on her face “My ladies, get your eyes ready, we have an evaluation tonight!”

“I don’t even know if he’s coming! I told Farlan to bring him, but big brother is really stubborn,”

“Don’t worry, Isabel” Petra reassures, smiling softly “I’m sure he’ll come. For you, at least,”

Isabel grins, hugging Petra, “Thank you!”

And just like that, the train comes to a stop.

“We’re here!” Anka quickly gets up, grabbing her coat an putting it on. The others follow her example, tightening their coats around their frames and preparing to get out of the train.

Petra’s stomach stirs nervously, making the petite woman frown. Why would she be nervous? She’s been to these events countless times, and tonight wouldn’t be any different. Except…

They step out of the train, quickly spotting the group of First Lieutenants waiting for them at the station. In the midst of well-known faces, an unknown man stands out. His grey eyes lock with hers, and her heart skips a beat.


	3. Strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: As always, I don’t own Shingeki no Kyojin.

**Chapter 2 - Strangers**

_"Call it Fate, call it Luck, call it Karma. I believe everything happens for a reason." - Peter Venkman_

“Farlan!” Isabel exclaims as soon as her eyes land on the blond man standing a few feet in front of the others, his arms open and waiting for her. She gives a little jump, excitement filling her every vein as she runs towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he replies, his own arms tightening around her, pressing her flush against him. They stay like that for a few moments, revelling in the presence of one another. When they finally let go, he presses a soft kiss in the corner of her mouth, chuckling at the light blush that rises to her cheeks.

“Did ya…?” she starts asking, a hopeful look on her face as she stares up at him. Farlan understands her immediately, a wide grin spreading on his face as he nods to her. She squeaks happily, her eyes darting to his comrades standing behind him. In the midst of smiling faces, she quickly spots the passive one of her brother.

Isabel can’t stop her heart from swelling up as she takes the few steps that separate them, her green eyes sparkling with happiness, “Big brother!”

She readies herself to throw her arms around him, the weight of being apart for so long finally setting on her shoulders. Just when she was about to envelop him in the biggest hug she had ever given him, his hand reaches out to her forehead, keeping her at arms length. She glares up at him, pure determination set on her face as she tries to claw her way to him, though to no avail. It was nothing she wasn’t accustomed to; he used to do the same thing when they were little, since he was never one for hugs and displays of affection.

Eventually, she stops struggling, a pout on her face as she crosses her arms over her chest. He drops his arm, eyes softening when he sees her pout.

“I missed you!”

“Well, I’m here now,” he answers nonchalantly, covering up the fact that he had missed her too.

“Hey, Isabel. What about us?” Eld asks, his hand on top of his heart as he feigns hurt, “Didn’t you miss us?”

She immediately hugs everyone else, apologizing quickly and assuring Eld that she had missed them a lot, but not nearly as much as she did her big brother. They all laugh, knowing she was straight-forward, and therefore, it was no surprise she’d say something like that.

“Oh, right!” she pipes up again, just as Farlan approaches her and wraps his arm around her waist, “Aren’t you forgetting the girls?” she teases, a disapproving look on her face.

“How could we ever forget them!” Dita starts, walking over to them. He makes sure to grab each of their hands, kissing the back of it softly, his lips brushing over their skin in a supposed-to-be-seductive way. They all giggle at him, completely used to his antics.

Grabbing Levi by the arm, Isabel drags him to her friends, ignoring the way he glares at her when she stops in front of them.

“Girls, this is my big brother!” she presents enthusiastically, a huge grin on her face.

“My, I believe we have come to a verdict, girls. And it definitely is unanimous,” Levi eyes the brunette girl who steps forward, a smile on her face as she extends her hand towards him, “I’m Anka, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,”

With some reluctance, he extends his own hand and grasps hers, shaking it firmly with a nod. Isabel elbows him in the ribs, earning her another glare before he sighs through his nose and presents himself. “Levi Ackerman.”

“Well, I’m Rico Brzenska, it’s nice to meet you,” Rico approaches him, shaking his hand as well. He actually thinks she is quite beautiful. Not that Anka is not, but he’d heard the guys teasing Gustav endlessly for having a thing for her. And it’s definitely not in his nature to steal his comrade’s love interests.

One by one, the girls introduce themselves, and he learns that the quiet brunette with green eyes is Ilse, and the one with short blonde hair is Nanaba. They seem nice, but they’re not his type (he’s not even sure if he has a type anymore). During the introductions, the guys approached them and were now chatting away excitedly, something about ‘dancing the night away with pretty girls in the club’ because 'baby, they’re training me for war, and I don’t know what’ll happen. But if I die tomorrow, I want to know that we lived all we could tonight’.

He finally turns to the last nurse, a petite, golden-haired girl who’s surprisingly shorter than him, something that instantly draws his attention. He locks eyes with her for the second time that night, and she gives him a small smile that, for some reason, seems… familiar.

“Hi, I’m Petra,” she introduces herself, and he quickly grasps her hand when she extends it to him - much too quickly, actually, something that surprises even himself.

“Levi,” he answers back. _Fuck_ , he thinks, fighting the urge to slap himself. She already knew that, there was no need for him to repeat his name when he didn’t do it with any of the other girls after he told Anka. To his surprise, she giggles lightly, her hand still enveloped on his. It feels soft against his calloused one, and they stay like that for God knows how long, staring and trying to grasp what was so familiar about one another. A loud cheer from the boys breaks the moment, and he retracts his hand, his eyes darting over to his comrades. They land on Auruo, who had been watching them the entire time. He scowls and the brown-haired male quickly turns his attention elsewhere. His scowl deepens when he remembers Eld’s words earlier that day, about how Auruo had feelings for her.

“Big brother, you really shouldn’t scowl,” Isabel whispers in his ear, snapping him back to reality. “It makes you look scary.”

“I don’t give two shits,” he shoots back, turning his scowl to her. She simply glares at him back until he gives up and drops his 'scary face’.

“Okay, whatever,” he sighs, rubbing her hair in what she knew to be an affectionate way.

“Promise me you’ll try and enjoy the night?” she asks, looking up at him with a face she always used when asking him favors he was bound to say no. He looks at her, trying to grit out that he wouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep, but her gaze intensified and he ended up sighing again.

“Fine.”

————–

The music’s loud inside the club, bodies swinging and spinning to the rhythm, sweat and alcohol mixed in a bittersweet aroma. On the dance floor, right in front of the big band playing that night, some went as far as to jitterbug, moving their bodies way quicker than the people who weren’t used to said dance. Anka and Gustav, along with Rico and Ian, were on the dance floor, both couples accompanying the beat with their simpler jitterbug moves. The rest of the group was sitting around a table in a corner, retelling stories about their time in the few weeks they’d been apart.

“And then, the Major just _exploded_!” Dita explains excitedly, claping his hands to emphasize his point. “He kinda spluttered Levi and Farlan… you should’ve seen Levi’s face! I’m telling ya, if looks could kill, the Major would’ve been dead and buried right at the spot. Luckily, Farlan came to the rescue before Levi could say something and get himself in trouble,” he finishes off, clapping Farlan on the back, the girls laughing and trying to picture everything Dita just explained. It’s not too hard to believe, every story they’d ever heard of the Major and Levi were enough for them to know that the two men had bad temper.

“You forgot Levi’s best line!” Moblit reminds him, already on the verge of laughing.

“Oh, right! When the major went away, Farlan scolded Levi for his behavior, and Levi just goes like,” Dita crosses his arms, tries to scowl like Levi and clears his throat, “'If I wanted a shower, I could’ve used the bathroom’, and then he stalks away!”

Everybody erupts in laughter then, except for Levi, who scowls at Dita. The girls start wiping their eyes, tears already falling from laughing so much.

“Your lines are the best, big brother!” Isabel praises him, hugging his arm to her with a wide grin.

“Hey, guys!” Anka approaches them, beads of sweat glittering on her skin. Gustav is right next to her, smiling at them in invitation. “Don’t you want to join the dance?”

A slow tune fills the room, now, the lighting diminishing above the dance floor. More couples join the dance, arms wrapped around each other as they move slowly to the beat, sharing small smiles full of love. Farlan takes Isabel’s hand and nods to Levi, who nods back approvingly. He takes her to the dance floor, his right hand traveling to her lower back as his left keeps its hold on hers. She follows his lead, placing her left hand on his shoulder while leaning her head on his chest, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

The group watches from their place at the table, knowing smiles on their faces as they observe the couple. It doesn’t take long for Ian, Rico, Gustav and Anka to go back to the dance floor, mimicking Farlan and Isabel.

“Well, I don’t suppose any of you lovely girls would like to accompany me to the dance floor?” Dita pipes up again, smiling at the only girls left. Grabbing a small book from her purse and opening it on a specific page, Ilse shakes her head, her eyes now focusing on her reading. Dita’s head turns to Nanaba.

“Sorry, Dita, but not today,” she answers, smiling apologetically at him. He pouts, crossing his arms over his chest.

He’s about to turn to Petra, knowing that she would never deny him the pleasure of a dance, when his eyes catch Auruo’s. He decides against it and ends up sinking back in his chair. Really, if Auruo wanted to ask her to dance, why didn’t he do so already?

“Well, I’m going to get a drink,” Flagon states, getting up from his seat.

“I’ll go with you,” Gunther offers.

“Me too!” says Eld, a small smirk on his face as he elbows Auruo on the ribs, winking at him. Auruo just frowns back, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.

“Oh, do you guys need help?” Petra asks, starting to get up as well.

“No, not at all! Please, stay where you are, Petra.” Eld smiles at her and she nods slowly, a confused look on her face.

“Well, I need to stretch my legs and a bit of fresh hair will do me some good,” it’s Nanaba’s turn to get up, her hands smoothing down her dress as she turns to Dita, “Dita, would you come with me? We won’t dance, but I wouldn’t mind some company,”

“Yeah, sure,” he answers, following the blonde outside.

“Don’t worry guys, we’ll be right back,” Eld grins, turning towards the bar with Gunther and Flagon. When he’s sure no one’s looking, he turns to Moblit, pointing towards the bathroom, his finger moving back and fro in a hurry. The young man seems to understand him, for he excuses himself from the table, saying he needs to 'take care of something’. Auruo looks back at them, shaking his head vehemently, to which Eld gives him another smirk and two thumbs up before turning his back on him.

Ilse looks over the rim of her book, a small smile on her face as she understands the guys’ plan. Not wanting to be a bother, she gives the object on her hands her full attention, leaving just the three sitting a few seats from her by themselves.

Auruo clears his throat, his finger pulling at the collar of his shirt as he tries to swallow the lump on his throat.

Petra ends up being the first to break the silence. “So, uh, Levi,” she starts, turning her attention to the black-haired male sitting next to her, “Can I call you Levi?”

He grunts in response, directing his gaze to her.

“Great!” she nods, a small smile on her face.  "So, I heard you guys are from Tennessee,“

His face darkens immediately, a reflex of the dark thoughts that instantly fill his mind. He doesn’t like to recall his past; it’s something he keeps buried deep within, something that only his sister and best friend know of. It’s frustrating, actually, that whenever someone brings up his home town, all he can think about is _that_.

"Yes,” he answers, his voice harsher than he intended it to be.

“Oh,” she frowns slightly, her eyes scanning his face. After that, she decides to keep quiet, not daring to ask him anymore questions.

Auruo’s eyebrows draw together, certainly not happy with the way Levi answered Petra, especially considering the way she reacted to it. He decides to clear his throat again, turning in his chair fully so that he could face Petra.

“Do you… want to dance?” he asks hesitantly, though he tries to smile charmingly at her. She eyes his extended hand, then looks at Levi, who’s watching them intently. His gray eyes look bored, his arms crossed over his chest. She sighs internally, turning her attention back to Auruo. Smiling softly, she takes his hand and follows his lead to the dance floor.

Levi leans back on his chair, trying not to look at the couple who just left. He really shouldn’t care that much, it’s not as if he likes to dance.

“Big brother,” Isabel pops up next to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of his chair, “Let’s dance!”

“Isabel, you know I don’t dance,” he scowls, trying to free his arm as she drags him into the sea of people in front of the stage. When she finds a spot to her liking, she picks up his right hand and places it on her waist, her left one traveling to his shoulder. She starts moving her feet slowly, trying to get him to follow her lead.

“Isn’t it supposed to be _me_ leading _you_?”

“I thought you didn’t dance,” she smirks.

“I don’t.” he answers, his frown deepening, “Where is Farlan, anyway?”

“I told him I wanted to dance with you,” it’s all she replies with, her gaze flickering to the blond man sitting at the table with the others.

A comfortable silence settles between them, Isabel musing over her next words while Levi turns his full attention to their feet, trying not to step on his little sister’s toes. His concentration is broken, however, when Isabel speaks again.

“So… you and Petra, uh?”

His eyes snap back to hers in a flash, confusion flickering on them for an instant before they return to their usual passiveness.

“What about her?”

“You seemed to like her,”

“Dont be ridiculous; I barely know her,” he fights the urge to correct his statement, the familiarity he felt when they first were introduced returning full force. “Besides, she already has a suitor,”

“Oh, you mean Auruo?” Isabel asks, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Who else?”

“Than you should be happy to know she doesn’t feel the same way about him,” she states matter-of-factly.

“I don’t really care, Isabel,” he answers, though his eyes tell her otherwise. Someone else wouldn’t notice the almost imperceptible curiosity that flashed on them, but not her; she’s known her big brother all her life, every little thing about him that others wouldn’t even dream of. He looks down at his feet again, thinking that his answer would be the end of the discussion, but he really should’ve known better.

“You know, she seems to like you too, big brother,” she grins at him.

He looks up at her once again, not bothering to hide his surprise, since she would just see through it.

“She hasn’t stopped looking at us since we started dancing,”

Levi looks over his shoulder to where Petra and Auruo are and, for the third time that night, their eyes lock. She smiles at him and he can almost feel the corners of his mouth lifting up a bit. It’s strange; he never felt so at ease with a stranger before.

“Did you see her?” Isabel asks, her eyes glittering with excitement.

“Indeed.” he answers.

But then again, maybe they weren’t strangers after all.


	4. Maybe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Shingeki no Kyojin, much to my chagrin, does not belong to me.

 

**Chapter 3 - Maybe**

 

_"You don't find love, it finds you. It's got a little to do with destiny, fate and what's written on the stars." - Anais Nin_

"Could you, just, possibly give me a minute?" Flagon asks, his breath shaky as he clasps his hands in front of him. To his side stood Ilse, a syringe in hand as she looked at him with a raised brow. She ends up nodding, a small smile on her lips when she notices his shoulders relaxing a bit.

 

"I promise I'll be gentle," she reassures him. His gaze travels to his closest comrade, Dita, who is practically on the same position he is. Ass up, skivvy shorts down, uncovering it, and his face firmly planted on the table he's leaning against. Behind him is a smirking Nanaba, a similar syringe raised as she pokes him on the other cheek. He shrieks, his head coming up just so it could crash against the table once again. Nanaba tries to stiffle her laughter at his whimpers and complaints that she was being 'ruthless' as he so put it.

 

"Unless you want Nanaba to do it," Ilse asks, her voice serious. Flagon's head shoots up, his eyes widening slightly at the possibility. 

 

"No, no, there's no need for that," he chuckles nervously, "It's alright, I'm ready." he wipes his brow and nods to himself, a determined expression on his face.

 

"Okay, then," Ilse raises the syringe to eye level, tapping it a few times. Flagon keeps muttering under his breath, somtehing along the lines of 'I can do it'. Bearing one of her rare smirks, Ilse finally pokes him, the force of the needle perforating his skin enough to make his eyes roll to the back of his head and his face to collide with the table. The only thing he hears is Nanaba's laughter.

* * *

"Auruo, for God's sake, stop fidgeting!" Petra scolds, a frown on her face as she tries to measure his height for the umpteenth time. It's already difficult, considering he's so much taller than her, and with him moving about it's almost impossible. He mumbles out a 'sorry', straightening up and looking straight forward as she finally manages to read a concrete number. She jumps out of the chair she was standing on, walking over to her table and jotting down his height on his chart.

 

"Get on the scale now, please," she says, finishing her notes while he does as he's told.

 

"So, how've you been?" he asks, watching her intently. She hums under her breath, adding his weight to her previous notes.

 

"I've been good, thank you," she smiles, closing his chart and handing it to him, "What about you?"

 

"Well, you know, flyin' around, doin' some tricks, same old, same old," he smirks, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall. He misjudges the distance, though, and ends up crashing against it. She rolls her eyes, shaking her head at him.

 

Eld walks in at that moment, Gunther right behind him. When they see Auruo squashed against the wall, they start lauhing, to which he frowns unhappily, sticking his tongue out at them. Petra soon joins them on their laughter, the three of them clutching their stomachs.

 

"Yeah, yeah, just keep laughing," Auruo mutters, finally straightening himself up.

 

"Sorry," Gunther smiles sheepishly, shrugging.

 

"Either way, they told us to come to you, Petra," Eld explains, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

 

"Oh, right, of course," she grabs their charts, placing them on the table. After examining both carefully, she explains that she's just going to measure their height and weight and then they're free to go. They both nod and Eld gets on the scale while Gunther walks over to the height chart.

 

"Auruo, I think your eye exam is next," Petra says, turning to the still frowning man. He nods, turning on his heel and leaving the three of them alone. She sighs.

 

"Ah, my dear Petra, no need to sigh," Eld pats her on the head when she approaches him, messing her hair a bit. She narrows her eyes, straightening her nurse cap over her golden locks while he chuckles.

 

"You're lucky I won't be the one giving you a shot, today," she threatens jokingly, which only makes him laugh more.

 

The head nurse's head pops inside the room, a scolding look on her face. "Petra, rotate to station three once you're done here."

 

"Yes, ma'am." 

 

After eyeing the three of them for a few more moments, she turns around and leaves. Petra releases a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

 

"Such a nice lady," Eld comments and Petra hits him with his chart. 

 

"Shh, she might hear you!"

 

"Sorry,"

 

"Either way, it looks like I'll be giving shots today, after all... You sure you don't have to take one today?" she asks smirking.

 

"I'm sorry to disppoint you, but I'm afraid I don't," he and Gunther laugh.

 

"What a shame," she shakes her head, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe next time."

 

* * *

 

Even though the hospital is one of the few places where he's able to find the cleanliness he so longs for, he hates undergoing these medical examinations. They're a pain in the ass, literally and figuratively. When the Major informed them days prior that they were to go to the hospital to 'make sure everything's in order' as he put it, he was all but happy. His comrades, however, were as excited as ever. 

 

"Pretty nurses taking care of us," they said, already coming up with new pick up lines and ways to woo the poor girls. He will never understand their fetish for nurses. Big deal, most of them are nice-looking and all, but why them? There are a lot of nice-looking girls in the world that aren't nurses.

 

"Big brother, have you taken your shot yet?" Isabel asks, snatching his chart from him.

 

"No." he answers with a frown, watching her as she flips through the pages. She stops immediately when she hears him, a huge smirk finding its way to her face. She hands him his chart back.

 

"What?" he asks suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at her.

 

"Oh, nothing," she waves her hand at him nonchalantly, "You can go to station three to get it, I'll show you the way!" she tries to smile innocently, ushering him forward.

 

"Isabel, if you're trying to plan something-" he starts saying, getting more and more suspicious by the minute.

 

"We're here!" she exclaims happily, interrupting him midway. "Now, be sure to be nice, okay?" she pushes him forward, waves goodbye and quickly darts away. He watches her go wearily, huffing under his breath. When he finally turns around to see where she brought him, he understands why she was so giddy.

 

  
_Brat_ , he thinks with a scowl, _I knew she was onto something_.

 

In front of him, sitting at a table doing what he supposed to be paperwork, was Petra. Her eyes were focused on the papers in front of her, her bottom lip jotting out in concentration as she scribbled down non-stop. Her hair fell over her left shoulder, her hand coming up sometimes to tuck a few strands that got on her face behind her ear.

 

He takes a few steps forward and clears his throat, trying to get her attention. Petra's head shoots up, a surprised look on her face when she sees it's him. 

 

"Mr. Ackerman!" she quickly gets up, smoothing down her uniform, a warm smile on her face.

 

"Levi," he corrects her, not liking the way his last name rolls off her tongue. Had she not called him Levi the night they went out? He wonders what made her change the way she addressed him.

 

"Oh, but... I thought you didn't like it the other night, so I-"

 

So that's why. "No, it's fine," he interrupts her, trying to sound reassuring, though he's pretty sure he fails miserably. 

 

"Oh, uh, okay." she smiles again, brighter than before and the familiarity slaps him in the face once again. "You're here to take the shot?"

 

"Yes," he hands her his chart, her fingers grazing his when she comes to grab it. And his body freezes; _someone handing him a cup of coffee_ , _four faceless people laughing around a table_ , _all bearing the same uniform_ , _a hoarse voice whispering out his name against his neck_ , _and a white wing overlaping a blue one_. He quickly retracts his hand, his eyes widening slightly.

 

"Levi, are you okay?" Petra asks worriedly, concern written all over her face.

 

He quickly snaps out of it, pushing what just happened to the back of his mind as his face returns to its usual blank expression. 

 

"Everything's fine." he says, walking over to the table in the middle of the room.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"I'm sure." 

 

She senses he does not want to be pushed, so she drops the subject. After checking what shot he's going to take, she picks up the syringe, filling it with a clear liquid. He can feel the way she keeps glancing at him every so often, even if she doesn't look at him for long. When she makes sure everything is ready, she turns to him, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she tries to get the next words out.

 

"You... well, the shot... I need to..." she keeps struggling and he raises an eyebrow at her, "Please take off your skivvy shorts!" she chokes out, now blushing furiously. 

 

Levi nods and turns around, starting to take off his skivvy shorts. Her face is so red right now, and is it just her, or summer decided to come in February, because it certainly is hot in there-

 

"No, no, you needn't take them off entirely!" she exclaims when his skivvy shorts are halfway down, "Just, just a little bit down your... uh..."

 

"Ass?" he files in for her, a small smirk on his lips. It's her turn to nod, and she tries to hide her face with her hair in embarassment. Gosh, she's a nurse, this won't be the first time she'll be face to butt with someone, nor will it be the last. 

 

"This may hurt a little bit," she informs him after a few moments of trying to compose herself, ignoring the thoughts of 'He has a cute butt' that were now crossing her mind.

 

"I've had worse," he replies, rolling his shoulders.

 

Picking up a gauze pad, Petra dampens it in alcohol and uses it to clean his buttock. She taps the syringe a few times, "May I?"

 

"Go ahead,"

 

And she does. He doesn't complain the entire time, which is quite unusual, considering they all end up crying out when the needle goes in. It's a nice change and before she knows it, the syringe is empty and she's putting it away. 

 

"And you're all done," she tells him. Turning her back to him, she starts stowing everything away, being almost done with her shift. He straightens himself up, pulling his skivvy shorts up again. 

 

"I was wondering..." she starts, turning to face him once again, "if you were planning to come with us? Next time we go out, I mean."

 

Levi looks up at her, pondering her words carefully. Does he want to go out with them again? Last time wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, and Isabel was so happy to have him with them, as was everyone else, it seemed. The girls weren't bad and the guys he was used to deal with. The hopeful look on her face - that she tries to hide, though to no avail - helps him come to a conclusion. 

 

"Maybe," he ends up saying as he grabs his chart. And she smiles.


	5. Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Yeah... still doesn't belong to me...

**Chapter 4 - Different**

_"The madness of love is the greatest of heaven's blessings." -Plato_

_May, 1941_

Even though he didn't tell her, Levi made a mental promise to start going out more. Throughout the five months after he met Petra, he fulfilled that promise without a hitch. Whenever his comrades decided to invite the girls to hang out in the city and asked him if he would go with them, he'd say yes. If there was a dance, he would tag along.

Farlan started giving him these odd looks and smirks, to which Levi would cross his arms and frown, ignoring the suggestive comments he and his sister would make during or after the events. Truth is, his relationship with Petra started blooming, growing stronger everytime they interacted during their outings. He learned more about her and she about him. And even though he tried to fight it, he started noticing small things that he's almost pretty sure weren't supposed to be noted by a friend. Like the way she chewed on her bottom lip when she was thinking. Or the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous. Or how she smelled like roses and everything sweet most of the time, except when he would meet her at the hospital - then, she would smell of desinfectant and alcohol.

He knew her schedule and she knew his. They would meet alone, sometimes, and they would talk about their day and the weather and their friends. There was this one time she told him about a guy who tried to hit on her on the hospital. He had clenched his teeth and looked away, scowling at the weird feeling on his chest that made him want to find the guy and make him shit his pants just so he would learn not to mess with Petra, because she's not your typical girl and she deserves to be treated with respect. And he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel proud and smug when she told him she'd poked him so deep she hit the bone.

She told him about herself and her family. He knew that her mother passed away when she was three and she lived with her father ever since. Mr. Ral wasn't thrilled when he found out that she wanted to join the United States Navy Nurse Corps, but he supported her anyway, to which she was grateful. She said she loves her father very much, and he wonders what it must feel like, the love between a father and his children. He never experienced it, of course, but he did know the love between siblings, if his relationship with Isabel was anything to go by. After joining the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, she's kept in touch with him through letters. Her father prefers the old, traditional way, and she doesn't complain. She sends him a letter every week - at least she tries to - and he does the same. She met his little sister on their first year and they have been friends ever since. He's glad Isabel found a friend like her.

Petra never asks him about his family, and he's relieved for that. He wouldn't be able to tell her as of now, but he believes he will be someday. She doesn't need to know about his past to actually _know_ him; or, at least, that's what he keeps telling himself. His past is the darkest part of his life, and he doesn't want to stain someone as bright and cheery as Petra with something so somber. But she does know most of his flaws and bad habits. Like his obsession with cleaning, for example. She knows that if it weren't for him, the guy's barracks would look and smell like a piggery. She knows that he always has his clothes folded to perfection, no wrinkles visible. She knows that he hates bullshit and everyone who tries to make a fool out of him. She knows that he hates crowds and would trade them for his friends and sister any day. But he also enjoys being alone. She knows he prefers his tea and coffee bitter, and she promises to brew him a coffee one day, determined to change his mind on that.

Levi never thought he'd be able to get so close to someone again. He always thought Farlan and Isabel were enough. The three of them spent all their lives together and they knew each other like they knew themselves. And he never expected to know someone as well as he knew his sister and best friend. But ever since he met Petra, he knew that he'd been wrong. No, it was not enough. It had never been. Somehow, she managed to find her way through the ice and rock surrounding his heart, and she didn't even ask for permission. Petra went in in a wave of golden hair and bright smiles that slowly but surely melted the ice, and with it, the rocks fell. She was the missing piece that he never realized was gone, not until he heard her laugh, felt her warmth, saw her smile and so, so _alive_.

And it didn't take him long to realize he was a goner.

* * *

It was hot. That's the only thing he registers as his arm slings over the back of the seat, a bored look on his face. The café isn't crowded, but it's not slow either, and everyone's voices sound so far away that he doesn't even bother to focus back on the conversation going on. It probably wasn't interesting, anyway.

"Petra, darling, may I talk to you for a second?" Auruo's voice is the one that catches his attention. His head snaps to the brown-haired man as he stands up, offering a hand to said girl, a confident expression on his face. She rolls her eyes and Levi smirks internally.

"Okay," Petra answers, getting up on her own. Auruo's face falls for a second, but he quickly recovers, placing his hand at the small of her back and guiding her outside the café. Everyone's eyes follow.

"Do you think...?" Gunther starts, and Eld shakes his head.

"I don't think so. I mean, it's been so long and he never told her... why would he now?"

Gunther nods in agreement, before turning back to the cup of tea resting in front of him.

* * *

"Now, now, Petra," Auruo starts, his hands resting on his hips as he smiles smugly down at her, "I think it's quite obvious that we like each other,"

Petra's face turns from annoyed to confused. What was he going on about? Did he hit his head? Or perhaps he was feeling ill?

"Auruo, I think you-"

"No need to get embarassed, sweetheart. It's only natural and we shouldn't fight back our feelings." he continues, ignoring her when she tries to talk, "I mean, you've been acting more and more like my wife and believe me when I tell you everyone else noticed it as well,"

Her eyes narrow, then, a deadly look on her face. Yes, she knew he liked her, but she never did anything that could make him think she reciprocated his feelings. She liked Auruo, she really did - even if he's been acting like an ass lately - but not enough to start a relationship. "Now, hold your horses. I don't know what you're going on about-"

"How could you not? It's written all over your face, the way you want me-" the sound of her palm connecting with his face echoes on the empty street. His eyes widen disbelievingly as his hand reaches up to craddle his bruised cheek.

"I don't know what's going on with you lately, but if you're trying to act like Levi, quit it." she says through gritted teeth, ignoring everyone's gaze now resting on them. "I am not, nor was I trying to act like your wife, and I believe everyone shares the same opinion as mine."

He doesn't look at her.

Taking a deep breath, she straightens herself, "Now if you'll excuse me," she turns on her heel and enters the café once again, picking up her purse. "I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling very well. I'll see you later," and with that, she leaves.

Everyone is left confused and dumbfounded, staring at the male standing just outside the window, the most heartbroken look they'd ever seen on his face.

* * *

One week passed by and Levi couldn't speak to Petra. He didn't know if she was avoiding him or something, but it was certainly making him frustrated. That and the fact that Auruo wouldn't tell anyone what happened outside the café that night. He kept glaring daggers at Levi whenever he opened his mouth, and Levi didn't think he could go much longer without punching him in the face.

"Training starts tomorrow at 7. Don't be late." Major Shadis informs them.

"Sir!" they all say in unison, saluting him.

When the Major was a good distance from them, they all relaxed, hands falling to their sides and shoulders rolling in exhaustion.

"I can't wait to get in the showers!" Ian exclaims, turning to follow his comrades to the bathrooms. They grunt in agreement, all eager to take a nice, warm shower and get a good night's sleep. Midway to the bathrooms, Levi stops, and Auruo ends up bumping against him. His eyes narrow.

"Could you not stop suddenly?" he hisses, and Levi turns around to face him, a scowl in place. Everyone stops, holding their breaths, eyes landing on the duo.

"Maybe if you'd watch where you're going, that wouldn't be a problem,"

"You little," Auruo starts, grabbing Levi by the colar of his shirt, "What did you do to her, uh?" he shouts while shaking him, "What kind of spell did you put on her?"

Levi was about to punch him for ruining his shirt, but Auruo's words stopped his actions. So this was what this was all about? Petra? He knew Auruo liked her, and at first he felt kind of guilty for getting close to her. But Petra never showed interest in him whatsoever, so he let it be. He'd noticed Auruo started to act different in the last five months, and to be honest, it annoyed the shit out of him. Petra told him that, for some reason, Auruo was trying to act like him. But now he could see why. He was jealous. He was jealous of him.

"Auruo, let go of me." Levi orders, but he doesn't listen.

"She's different! Ever since she met you, she's been different!" the First Lieutenant keeps shaking him, and Levi's patience finally wears down. In an instant Auruo's pinned to the ground, Levi being the one to grab his shirt this time.

"No, Auruo." he says, face dangerously close to his, "You're the one who's different."

"C'mon, guys, break it up!" Farlan steps up, placing a hand on Levi's shoulder. The raven-haired man huffs and gets up, dusting his pants off. Giving Auruo a final glance, Levi turns on his heel and leaves.


End file.
